Seven MLB deadline trades I’d like to see, starting with a big Yankees-Rays swap

Will this deadline deliver or be a dud?

As we all wait … and wait … and wait for deals to go down, rumors are swirling across the industry in anticipation of some big names getting moved before Tuesday’s trade deadline. So just for fun, here are seven trades I’d like to see happen between now and then. Some of the bigger-name players below will certainly be on the move in the coming week, while others are more likely to stay put unless their team receives a strong offer. Please use the comments section to let me know what trades you’d like to see happen or how you would alter my trade ideas if you were one of the two sides.

1. Rays trade 3B Isaac Paredes and RHP Pete Fairbanks to Yankees for OF Everson Pereira, SS Roderick Arias, 3B Oswaldo Cabrera, 2B Jorbit Vivas and RHP Zach Messinger

The Yankees would fill a huge hole at third base with Paredes, the Rays’ best position player, who immediately lengthens and improves their lineup. He would allow the Yankees to use DJ LeMahieu in a platoon at first base with Ben Rice and occasionally at second base and DH as well. Paredes, who has a 129 OPS+ and made his first All-Star team this year, is under team control through 2027. The Yankees would also improve their bullpen with Fairbanks, who could share the closer role with Clay Holmes and comes with two additional years of control.

In return, the Rays get the toolsy Arias, who immediately becomes one of their best prospects, and the power-hitting Pereira for one of their corner outfield spots. Cabrera becomes their multi-position 10th player, Vivas provides them with an option for life after Brandon Lowe at second base and Messinger profiles as a mid-rotation starter in the future. The Rays are always looking for long-term wins and have never been afraid to make deals within their division if they make them better.

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2. Tigers trade LHP Tarik Skubal to Orioles for OF Heston Kjerstad, 3B Coby Mayo and LHP Cade Povich

The Tigers would start the conversation by asking for second baseman Jackson Holliday or catcher Samuel Basallo and the Orioles would immediately reject either one being included in the deal. However, to part with an ace like Skubal, who has two additional years of control, the Tigers would need to get two everyday position players and a starting pitcher they could put right into their rotation. Mayo and Kjerstad would fit nicely behind Riley Greene in the Tigers’ lineup for years to come and Povich should develop into a solid mid-rotation starter. It’s a high price to pay for the Orioles but would give them a postseason rotation of Corbin Burnes, Skubal and Grayson Rodriguez, along with some protection if Burnes doesn’t re-sign in the offseason. 

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3. Marlins trade 2B/CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. to Pirates for RHP Braxton Ashcraft and C/OF Henry Davis

Chisholm would bring his combination of power and speed to a Pirates lineup that ranks in the bottom third in baseball in runs scored, though they’ve shot up to 10th over the past 30 days. The 26-year-old is under team control through 2026, which solves center field for the Pirates for the foreseeable future. Chisholm would be a good fit with Pittsburgh because veteran leader Andrew McCutchen could take him under his wing and help him develop into a true professional. If I’m the Pirates, I’m putting Chisholm’s locker next to McCutchen’s from day one.

In return, the Marlins would get a solid starting pitching prospect in Ashcraft, a second-round pick in 2018, who was having another nice year before a couple of stints on the injured list. The 24-year-old has a 2.88 ERA over 13 starts and two relief appearances this season between Double A and Triple A. The Marlins would also receive Davis, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, who debuted in 2023 but has yet to live up to expectations. Keep in mind he’s 24 years old and has received only 310 major-league at-bats (.197/.292/.319), so it’s too soon to pass judgment and he might benefit from a fresh start.

4. White Sox trade LHP Garrett Crochet to Dodgers for RHP Gavin Stone, OF Andy Pages, C Dalton Rushing and LHP Jackson Ferris

The rebuilding White Sox need to trade Crochet and turn him into at least four major-league players with upside. Stone would immediately replace Crochet in their rotation. He’s impressed during his rookie season, going 9-3 with a 3.19 ERA over 18 starts. The 25-year-old might not be the ace or the future Cy Young Award winner that many think Crochet is, but he’s a solid starting pitcher whom Chicago would control through 2029. Pages would go right into their starting outfield on one of the corners, Rushing would become either their everyday catcher or a trade asset they can utilize, and Ferris, 20, has high upside as a left-handed starting pitcher.

The Dodgers are actively seeking a difference-making starter for the postseason, with Crochet and Skubal at the top of their target list. They need to address their fragile rotation at the deadline and can put together a strong prospect package, starting with Stone. Crochet significantly enhances their chances in 2024 but also bolsters the top of their rotation, alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, for the next two years.

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Luis Robert Jr. missed two months due to a hip flexor strain and has had a subpar offensive season, but he hit 38 homers and had an .857 OPS in 2023. (Raymond Carlin III / USA Today)

White Sox trade CF Luis Robert Jr. to Phillies for CF Justin Crawford and RHP Mick Abel

The White Sox would ask for shortstop Aidan Miller straight up and the Phillies would decline. They’d then ask for right-hander Andrew Painter, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, to be in the deal and again would be turned down. However, a deal for Crawford and Abel should be able to get done. I know Phillies fans will be screaming not to include Crawford, a first-round draft pick in 2022 out of high school, who has already reached Double A; however, Robert is a better overall player with much more power and could be the final big piece that helps the Phillies win the World Series this year.

From the Chicago side, they’d get an elite defensive center fielder with blazing speed on the basepaths and above-average bat-to-ball skills, they’d save the money from Robert’s contract (he’s making $12.5 million this year, will make $15 million next year and has $20 million options for both 2026 and 2027), and in Abel they’d have a 22-year-old pitching prospect with a power arm who, despite his diminished stock, could end up as a No. 2 starter if he can solve his control and command issues.

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6. Marlins trade LHP Tanner Scott to Padres for LHP Robby Snelling

In Snelling, the Marlins would be getting a 20-year-old lefty with huge upside, and to acquire a starting pitching prospect of this magnitude for a rental closer would be an incredible return. Snelling, the 39th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has control issues, as he’s walked 33 in 73 1/3 innings while posting a 6.01 ERA this season in Double A. But his stuff is compelling and screams out that he’ll eventually develop into a solid starter. This type of gamble makes sense for Miami. Meanwhile, the Padres land an impact lefty closer to go with their impact righty closer, Robert Suarez, which would really enhance their chances of making the playoffs this year and doing some damage in October. The Padres are built to win now and this is a win-now type of trade that hurts but makes an immediate difference.

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7. White Sox trade Erick Fedde to Cardinals for RHP Zack Showalter and RHP Ian Bedell

This deal would land the Cardinals the veteran starting pitcher they seek and give the White Sox two young power pitchers to help rebuild their farm system. Fedde is 7-3 with a 2.98 ERA over 20 starts this year and is controllable through 2025. Bedell has 100 strikeouts in 95 innings this season between Double A and Triple A. Since being promoted to Triple-A Memphis in June, the 24-year-old has posted a 2.37 ERA over five starts (30 1/3 innings). Showalter, 20, has struck out 54 in 32 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, with a 2.59 ERA over 22 appearances in Low A.

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(Top photo of Isaac Paredes: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)